I like to let the product speak for itself. On a more positive note, however -- the album found Rocky testing the limits of his own creativity, exploring new sounds, and furthering himself … [32] In its third week, the album dropped to number 22 on the chart. These sonics represent me. Testing (stylized in uppercase letters) is the third studio album by American rapper ASAP Rocky. The album received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200, earning 75,000 album-equivalent units of which 13,000 were pure sales, becoming ASAP Rocky's third consecutive top-five album on the chart. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 67, based on eight reviews. Club said, "Though the finished project is as loose and incohesive as its title might suggest, there's a lot to like about Testing. "Buck Shots" contains a sample of "The Format", written by, "Gunz n Butter" contains a sample of "Street Type Niggaz", written and performed by, "Brotha Man" contains a sample of "Intermission", written by Leon Michels, Toby Pazner and Jeffrey Silverman, as performed by. Everything about the album … A$AP Rocky delivers a respectable rhythmic flow on the first verse, rapping over the Moby strings and a hard-nosed, … People cater more to that because it's a bigger demographic behind that, or it's a guaranteed demographic behind that. People call young cats mumble rappers; people call old heads jealous. In January 2018, the album's album title was cryptically left under SoundCloud song descriptions, until being officially confirmed in May 2018. His cousin is fellow ASAP Mob member ASAP Nast.. Mayers started rapping at age nine, when he moved to … So I’m in a position where I want to make music for that medium. [14][15], Testing was met with generally positive reviews. Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? [38], Credits adapted from ASAP Rocky's official Twitter account[7] and Tidal. Decent (heavily overrated) flow, above average; kinda cocky delivery, blow average lyricism and the production i guess is his best aspect still not amazing. 2: Too Cozy as part of the rap collective ASAP Mob. In an interview with GQ , … Testing is a ridiculously solid effort by A$AP Rocky to turn all the sounds he's currently inspired by into a cohesive--although, at first listen, chaotic--body of work. Elsewhere, Dev Hynes adds his nostalgic-R&B Blood Orange vibe to “Hund43d.”. "Kids Turned Out Fine" samples "Don't Come Home Today" by Good Morning. ", "A$AP Rocky still aiming to release his new album this year", "ASAP Rocky says new album Testing is "done," shares artwork", "A$AP Rocky Talks New Album, Under Armour Deal, and His Deep Love of Flowers", "A$AP Rocky Shares 'TESTING' Artwork, Tweets 'Album Done, "LORD FLACKO JODYE II on Twitter: "OFFICIAL CREDITS AND TRACKLIST", "Cary Fagan: Meet the Photographer Behind A$AP Rocky's 'TESTING, "Bad Company (feat. AWGE: A creative agency founded by A$AP Rocky. He had an older sister, Erika B. Mayers, Mayers' first name was taken from the hip hop artist Rakim, one half of the Eric B. [12] The song peaked at number 65 on the US Billboard Hot 100. ASAP Rocky is someone i've never really seen the hype for. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart", "Hip Hop Album Sales: Kanye West's "ye" Tops Billboard 200 With 5th-Biggest Week Of 2018", "American album certifications – A$AP Rocky – Testing", "Australiancharts.com – A$AP Rocky – Testing", "Austriancharts.at – A$AP Rocky – Testing", "AAP Rocky Chart History (Canadian Albums)", "Offiziellecharts.de – A$AP Rocky – Testing", "Irish-charts.com – Discography A$AP Rocky", "Italiancharts.com – A$AP Rocky – Testing", "Norwegiancharts.com – A$AP Rocky – Testing", "Swedishcharts.com – A$AP Rocky – Testing", "A$AP Rocky Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)", "Canadian album certifications – A$AP Rocky – Testing", "Danish album certifications – A$AP Rocky – Testing", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Testing_(album)&oldid=999552202, Short description is different from Wikidata, Album articles lacking alt text for covers, Album chart usages for BillboardRandBHipHop, Certification Table Entry usages for Canada, Pages using certification Table Entry with streaming figures, Certification Table Entry usages for Denmark, Certification Table Entry usages for United States, Pages using certification Table Entry with streaming footnote, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, "ASAP Forever" features background vocals by Khloe Anna, "Tony Tone" features background vocals by, "Fukk Sleep" features background vocals by Hector Delgado, "Calldrops" features background vocals by Acyde and, "Buck Shots" features background vocals by, "Brotha Man" features background vocals by, "OG Beeper" features background vocals by, "Kids Turned Out Fine" features background vocals by Mateo "Teo" Arias, "Black Tux, White Collar" features background vocals by, "Tony Tone" contains a sample of "Man Inside", written and performed by. The album title itself refers to testing new sounds and pushing in new directions in hopes of growth. View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2018 CDr release of TESTING on Discogs. The album's lead single, "ASAP Forever" featuring Moby, was released on April 5, 2018. A$AP Rocky has always been a tastemaker with an eclectic palette, and with his third studio album, Testing, he isn't catering to the ears of current hip-hop fans. The most unexpected guests include FKA twigs and MGMT, who both help to make “Fukk Sleep” the waking-dream of a space-trap cut that it is. Testing is the third studio album by American rapper ASAP Rocky. The album includes guest appearances from Frank Ocean, Skepta, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Playboi Carti, French Montana, Kodak Black, Dev Hynes and FKA Twigs, among others, and was produced primarily by Hector Delgado and ASAP Rocky himself, alongside a variety of high … [3] The previous month, ASAP Rocky released Cozy Tapes Vol. Moby) – Single by A$AP Rocky on Apple Music", "Testing by A$AP Rocky Reviews and Tracks", "Father John Misty, LUMP, The Dreebs, and more albums to know about this week", "A$AP Rocky: Testing review – twisted pretty-boy cranks up the weirdness", "Review: A$AP Rocky's "TESTING" Experiment Is A Quiet Fail", "Review: A$AP Rocky's Testing is tentative", "Hip Hop Album Sales: Pusha T's "DAYTONA" & A$AP Rocky's "Testing" Hit Billboard 200 Top 5", "Shawn Mendes Scores No. stated that the album is "A shedding of the 29-year-old artist's old skin and a rebirth of something more profound and slightly more complicated", complimenting the album's experimental aesthetic and identity. "[26] Fred Thomas also provided a mixed review for AllMusic, stating that "While in some ways Testing is more musical than anything we've heard from A$AP Rocky before, it's also more confused, with ideas and musical shifts colliding at times to the point of randomness. Testing gets the remixed version of “A$AP Forever” as opposed to the original. [17] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? #2 When in doubt always refer to rule #1. Full Review. A$AP Rocky is headed to Japan to host another pop-up shop in support of his 2018 'TESTING' album. Rocky is making music outside of the confines of rap while simultaneously pushing boundaries within it. "Calldrops" contains a sample of "Morning Sun", written and performed by Dave Bixby; and "Money & the Power", written by Hayword Ivy, as performed by DJ Squeeky. With the help of T.I., A$AP Rocky shouts out to the gang, revealing at least some of the record’s cards. "Testing" the latest to come out of the A$AP is a fascinating piece of work by an artist whom I believe has suffered a lack of shine in hip-hop due to the current wave in hip-hop music. 2y. [4] In an interview with GQ, Rocky stated: "My new album is really about testing new sounds. "[27] Kevin Ritchie of Now believed that "Testing's title might suggest experimentation, but it delivers more on tentativeness, with a smattering of solid songs mixed into aesthetically interesting but unresolved experiments", criticizing the lyricism and flows that "aren't as ambitious as the production. Vintage Rocky touchstones are still present—the charming sense of invincibility, the dark and plodding production (including a reunion with key early collaborator Clams Casino), and the extended tours of his closet—but Testing is proof positive that the rapper fits in no box. On ‘Testing,’ the latest album from Harlem rapper A$AP Rocky, the rapper experiments with music driven by psychedelics, to often weird, but largely mixed results. Sure, he's pretty good but isn't rly great anywhere. Rocky Has Returned. The album is also extremely personal at times. & Rakim duo. At first i hated this album but the more i listened the more it feels like a natural evolution of rocky's sound some very unique uses of At first i hated this album but the more i listened the more it feels like a natural evolution of rocky's sound some very unique uses of vocals, features and and production.Songs like" Distorted Records " Kids Turned Out Fine" is not what one … Early life. Like any set of experiments, Testing offers some success, some failure, and some moments that can only be met with a blank stare. It was released on May 25, 2018, by ASAP Worldwide, Polo Grounds Music and RCA Records. These marketing platforms (Google Analytics, Google AdWords, Twitter, Facebook) may use cookies and other identifies to track you. The album includes guest appearances from Frank Ocean, Kid Cudi, Skepta, French Montana, Kodak Black, Dev Hynes and FKA Twigs, among others, and was produced primarily by Hector Delgado and ASAP Rocky himself, alongside a variety of high-profile record producers. Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for Testing - A$AP Rocky on AllMusic - 2018 - While his endless charisma and effortlessly… From a cloud-rap mixtape that earnt praise well beyond his New York area and Houston, whose sound ironically he clung onto and re-energised, he’s been constantly stepping forward to the experimental lane of hip-hop rather than the dead-end cul-de-sac of throwaway brag-rap. Hello, one and all. "Fukk Sleep" contains a sample of "FYM", written by Albert Johnson. "OG Beeper" contains a sample of "Street Type Niggaz" and "Shoot to Kill", written and performed by Tommy Wright III; and "Still Get My Dick Sucked", written by Hayword Ivy, as performed by DJ Squeeky. [36][37] On October 16, 2019, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 500,000 units in the United States. I don't just rap—I actually make music. A$AP Rocky's star-studded third effort is a triumph, 'TESTING' is his most ambitious and rewarding project yet - our review. I don’t just rap – I actually make music. Testing is the third studio album by American rapper ASAP Rocky. After a three-year hiatus, Harlem rapper ASAP Rocky offers up "Testing," an album that prides itself on throwing the "kitchen sink" into the production without focusing much … These sonics represent me. Rakim Mayers was born on October 3, 1988, in Harlem a neighborhood of Manhattan, New York. TESTING debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 for the week of June 9th, 2018. [33] In its fourth and fifth weeks on the Billboard 200, the album dropped to number 37 and 41, respectively. I’m not really good at self-promoting. The album was released on May 25th as well as its credits and its tracklist. I believe that Rocky realized this too, which is why the MC wen't outside of hip-hop (just as he went outside of the country the minute he blew up) to gain inspiration for his latest movement, which is why "Testing" … TESTING | A$AP Rocky to stream in hi-fi, or to download in True CD Quality on Qobuz.com It has been released on May 25, 2018 by RCA. Testing was supported by two singles: "ASAP Forever" and "Praise the Lord (Da Shine)", alongside numerous promotional singles. Though songs like the gorgeous Frank Ocean collaboration "Purity", or the darkly simmering "Fukk Sleep" featuring FKA Twigs, take risks that push A$AP Rocky to new, exciting territory, some of the experiments that made it onto Testing could have been left bubbling over in the lab rather than weighing down the rest of the album. 2018, 15 tracks, 55 mins 25 sec. BlocBoy JB) – Single by A$AP Rocky on Apple Music", "A$AP Forever (feat. Basically, the point of this whole shit is just testing new sounds. 2017, in my opinion, has been a less-than-stellar year in music, mostly because (realizing that it's a one-sided argument) the music has been so sub-par and one-note, … From Harlem beginnings, Rocky has risen like his boxer namesake. [13] The album version of the single includes guest appearances from Kid Cudi and T.I.. People are scared to test new sounds, so they go with what's current 'cause it's the easy thing to do. Testing is an album that really sounds like it was made to test out new concepts and ideas for Rocky. [39], sales+streaming figures based on certification alone, Recording Industry Association of America, International Players Anthem (I Choose You), "A$AP Rocky Returns With 'Testing,' His Most Experimental Album to Date", "A$AP Rocky's New Album "TESTING" Out Today! It does not have the earth-shattering impact of his genre-defining debut, nor does it have any one track with as much immediacy as, say, a "Fuckin' Problems", but it is unequivocally his most thoughtful, most ambitious, and most rewarding project to date", praising the album's production, experimentation, cohesion and guest appearances. [22] Kassandra Guagliardi of Exclaim! "Praise the Lord (Da Shine) (featuring Skepta)" contains a sample of "Midsummer Again – Roma Surrectum II", written by Viktor Tärnholm. "[5], The album artwork was unveiled on May 21, 2018, while the tracklist was announced three days later. [8], In January 2018, a series of non-album songs were released by ASAP Rocky onto SoundCloud, including "5ive Stars", "Above" and "Money Bags Freestyle". [30][31] In its second week, the album dropped to number 15 on the chart, with 26,000 album-equivalent units (1,000 in pure albums sales). gave it 6.4 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. I ’m not young enough to be a mumble rapper, or old enough to be an old head. [21] Andreas Hale of Billboard complimented the album's experimentation but believed that ASAP Rocky is "still style over substance and his efforts at experimentation don't always click like he wants them to". Testing was met with generally positive reviews. That's why it takes time. I prefer to experiment and have my crowd grow with me and to reach new crowds. A$AP Rocky explains why people didn't pay attention to his latest album, 'Testing' and teases new music with Tyler, The Creator. "[24] Similarly, Stephen Kearse of Pitchfork believed there to be flaws in the experimentation, writing: "Rocky is enamored with collision. It’s more so the outcome of an experiment, you know? His approach to songcraft on Testing is to mash sounds together and capture the friction. His father is from Barbados. gave it 6.4 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. The top 100 songs sound a certain way. We allow smartURL creators to track who has clicked one of their links. The results are often dismal. That’s why it takes time. Video; Tracklist; Play All Shuffle Queue Rules: #1 Never reveal what AWGE means. TESTING is the third studio album by Harlem rapper, A$AP Rocky, following his last album AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP released in 2015. I feel like I’m in the middle, you know? [23] Nina Hernandez of The A.V. Vintage Rocky touchstones are still present—the charming sense of invincibility, the dark and plodding production (including a reunion with key early collaborator Clams Casino) and the extended tours of his closet—but Testing is proof positive that the rapper fits in no box. A range of musical styles and genres have been achieved on this album, truly living up to its title. In September 2017, ASAP Rocky announced the release of a new album, originally scheduled for a late 2017 release. This was taken from Rocky’s interview with Don Diva Magazine in January this year: It’s like one of those albums that niggas been waiting on, but they don’t know they need it. Just like its selection of samples, TESTING plays host to a far-reaching list of contributors. In an interview with GQ, A$AP said that this album is really about experimentation with new sounds: People are scared to test new sounds, so they go with what’s current, ‘cause it’s the easy thing to do. Testing, Rocky’s third studio album and first outing without the direct oversight of his late friend and counsel A$AP Yams, uses intuition as its guiding force, broadening Rocky’s … Racked with … It moved 75,000 copy equivalents during its debut week. [19], In a mixed review, online hip hop publication HipHopDX wrote that "There is no new movement birthed; there is no paradigm shift about the occur; it's simply as the title states: a series of harmonic evaluations meant to gauge audience reaction. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 67, based on eight reviews. Instead of creating a new wave, ASAP Rocky has drowned himself in his own ambitions and lost his identity along the way. The album's second single, "Praise the Lord (Da Shine)" featuring Skepta, was released to rhythmic and urban contemporary radio on June 26, 2018. Remix or not, “A$AP Forever Remix” still heavily samples Moby (“Porcelain”). Just new wavelengths. If any of you follow my posts, you all know by now that I do not listen; or rather barely to, any new music, unless it's by an artist that I'm still willing to validate and listen to. What’s clear from Testing, his third studio album, is that Rocky won’t totally abandon the universe he has created for himself. The album proves to be one of Rocky’s most versatile. [1] Jake Boyer of Highsnobiety acclaimed Testing, labelling it "an absolute triumph. [6][7], The cover of Testing features a photo by Houston-based creative director Cary Fagan, in which 10 shadowy figures surround a bold typeface logo. To Japan to host another pop-up shop in support of his 2018 '... 1-Listen review test so i ’ m in a position where i want make... Never really seen the hype for 15 ], testing was met with generally positive reviews good.! 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